Xmas or Christmas?

Jesus, the Reason for the Season

Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays?

Your greetings may reveal who you are and what you are celebrating. Is it the Christian Christmas or the Xmas without Christ in it?

Christmas is a time for celebration. But how conscious are we of its real reason? Perhaps some of us have already started holding Christmas parties as early as the first week of December. And it is not even Christmas yet!

Everywhere we can hear the sounds of Christmas. It is telling us that it is here even since September! We see children braving the streets singing carols to commuters, or young and old hopping from one house to another. Sometimes the carols are choppy, mumbled, and shortened. We sing what the composers think or experience of Christmas. Do these carolers know what they are singing? Do the songs capture the truth of our belief in Christmas?

Attractive decorations, glittering lights, giant fancy trees, flickering stars of different sizes and colors are some “signs” that Christmas is here. Include here the hectic and frantic Christmas shopping sprees that stress us out. Is this Christmas?

Ynna, a Mass Com intern says, “Christmas is remembering Christ’s incarnation and salvation. But sometimes the focus is only in the celebration and all the decorations. According to Father (during his homily), the decoration is only a representation but it preoccupies people.”

Some Catholics unwittingly adapt the atheistic thought that reduces Christmas into a mere holiday, just like any other regular holiday. The secular Xmas crosses out Christ in Christmas. Some ideas are really so subtle and an undiscerning Catholic could easily fall into the trap.

The most important preparation we are supposed to do is the interior preparation. As St. John the Baptist announces, “Prepare the way of the Lord.” What do we prepare?

The Church’ Advent liturgy expresses wonderfully the kind of attitude that Christians are ought to possess while waiting for the commemoration of the first Christmas. St Paul’s exhortation to the Christians of Thessalonica is the same for Christians of today: “strengthen your heart, making them blameless and holy before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones (1 Thes 3:12).”

When people are assailed by trials and tribulations, thinking that God is not concerned with them is a great temptation. Times of prosperity, on the other hand, can tempt people to think that they can do even without God. To think that Christmas is nothing but just an ordinary festivity is a natural consequence.

Are times changing? The Israelite captives of Babylon were tempted the same way. They thought God was neither interested nor concerned with them. Prophet Isaiah reminded them of God, saying: “Do you not know or have you not heard? The Lord is eternal God, creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint nor grow weary, and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny. He gives strength to the fainting for the weak he makes vigor abound. Though young men faint and grow weary, and youths stagger and fall, they that hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar as with eagles’ wings. They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint.”

Jeremiah foretold the fulfillment of God’s promise: “I will raise up for David a just shoot.” Isaiah prophesied that “the Virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name, Immanuel (Is 7:14).”

Christmas is about the coming of Jesus. Our Catechism of the Catholic Church says that Jesus was born in a humble stable; into a poor family. Simple shepherds were the first witnesses to this event. In this poverty heaven’s glory was made manifest. The Church never tires of singing the glory of this night:

The Virgin today brings into the world the Eternal
And the earth offers a cave to the inaccessible
The angels and shepherds praise him
And the magi advance with the star
For you are born for us.
Little Child, God eternal!
(CCC 525)

Amor, another young student, says that “Christmas is a time when families gather together and experience love that comes from God.”

The whole essence of Christmas is love. We are in need of redemption. God, who is love, sent His son to us because of His great love for us. Jesus, the Incarnate Word of God, came and dwelt among us.

At Christmas “everyone unites in joy because Christ is born,” Bernie, a layout artist, adds.

Let us get to know what Christmas is or else Christmas will only be a “charade,” and worst is that Christmas will just come and go and Jesus never comes alive in us.

Rather than greet one another with Happy Holidays, gladly wish Merry Christmas instead for it is the right one. Remember that the real reason behind Christmas is Jesus. Let us all gather together at Christmastime and kneel before Jesus adoring and praising him. MERRY CHRISTMAS! (Davao Verbum Dei Media Foundation family)